How the Chesterton House Foundation is supporting The Saffires Project

Some of the most vulnerable people in our community are also among the hardest to reach. For women affected by selling sex across Leicester and Leicestershire, The Saffires Project offers support, delivered in the places where they actually are.

Saffires is a specialist charity focused on women’s safety, dignity and wellbeing. Its outreach team meets women in the places where they work, including street locations and commercial indoor premises, offering non-judgemental support and building trusted relationships over time.

The Chesterton House Foundation has awarded Saffires a £1,000 grant, helping sustain this frontline outreach work by contributing to the essential costs of delivering safe, consistent and trauma-informed support to women in need.

Reaching women where they are

For some women, Saffire’s outreach workers are the only professionals who know their circumstances and check regularly on their welfare. This consistent contact helps women feel safer, less isolated and more able to access practical support.

Women affected by selling sex often face overlapping challenges, including homelessness, poverty, substance misuse, poor mental health, violence, trauma and social isolation. Many tell Saffires they sell sex out of necessity rather than choice, while stigma and past experiences can make mainstream services hard to access.

Making a practical difference

The grant will help fund Saffires’ outreach van and support additional plans to extend the service to women selling sex elsewhere in the county.

In 2025, Saffires engaged with 90 women across 144 outreach sessions and provided one-to-one support to 16 women. The charity expects demand to grow through 2026 as it expands across Leicestershire.

Support is tailored to each woman’s circumstances and can include:

• Accompanying women to sexual health services and GP appointments
• Supporting access to housing and substance misuse services
• Accompanying women through the criminal justice system, where they choose to report a crime or attend court
• Providing emotional support, a listening ear and a safe space to talk
• Helping women identify personal goals and access specialist services
• Building confidence, self-esteem and connections to positive community activities

Saffires also carries out wellbeing assessments where appropriate, helping women identify their needs and track progress over time.

Working in partnership

No single organisation can meet every need alone. Saffires works closely with local services, including the police, and sits within a multi-agency safeguarding group for women who sell sex, particularly those working on the streets. It’s also a core partner of the Supporting Women Together network, which brings charities and agencies together to support some of Leicester’s most vulnerable women.

Beyond individual support, the grant will help strengthen staff and volunteer management, develop local partnerships, and fund trauma-informed training for businesses and community groups, helping challenge the stigma faced by women who sell sex.

A lasting impact

Over the past ten years, 310 women selling sex in Leicester have accessed support through Saffires. Some have gone on to gain work experience, join positive community groups, and leave the sex industry entirely.

One woman supported by the charity said: “If it wasn’t for the support I’ve received from Saffires, I wouldn’t be where I am today.”

Why we chose to support Saffires

The Foundation looks for organisations doing meaningful work in our local community, where funding makes a direct and visible difference. Saffires meets women without judgement and supports them at their own pace, helping them feel safer, more connected, and better able to access the help available. It’s exactly the kind of work we want to back.

Find out more about The Saffires Project here.

To learn more about the Chesterton House Foundation, including how to support and how to apply for a grant, visit our webpage here.